176
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
3
Direct injuries
$1.4M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Putnam County, Indiana: 176 recorded events between 1965 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 74. That places the county #1,255 nationally and #38 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Putnam County, Indiana: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Putnam County is the 2000s, when 63 of the county's 176 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Putnam County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 50.4% of all recorded severe weather across 7 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #1,255 for this hazard and #38 within Indiana, putting it in the 60.0 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Putnam County with 41 recorded events, while Sep is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 23, 2015 | CLOVERDALE | 65 | 0 | 1 | $10K |
| May 17, 1999 | PUTNAMVILLE | 50 | 0 | 1 | $20K |
| May 25, 1989 | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2, 2026 | BARNARD | 52 | $2K |
| Mar 22, 2026 | BROAD PARK | 50 | $2K |
| Mar 11, 2026 | CLOVERDALE | 52 | $4K |
| Jun 18, 2025 | CLOVERDALE | 55 | $0 |
| Apr 19, 2025 | GREENCASTLE ARPT | 51 | $0 |
| Apr 19, 2025 | CRADNICK CORNER | 52 | $10K |
| Apr 3, 2025 | COMMERCIAL PLACE | 63 | $0 |
| Mar 19, 2025 | BRICK CHAPEL | 60 | $10K |
| Mar 15, 2025 | FILLMORE | 52 | $4K |
| Jun 29, 2024 | BROAD PARK | 52 | $5K |
Other hazards here
More from Putnam County
- Hail 114
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The area along Washington Street and Bloomington Street saw a lot of tree and utility line damage from thunderstorm winds. Witnesses at the Putnam County Fairgrounds said several chickens were killed as a result of the storm.
An 18 to 24 inch diameter tree downed at the 4000 block of county road 1100s near Reelsville. 3 power poles were snapped near the location. Fire rescue made 12 downed tree calls during the evening with 30 to 40 across the county.
The Bainbridge Fire Department building was damaged due to damaging thunderstorm winds. The downburst winds lifted the overhang of the roof's west end and completely separated the roof from the walls. Tangled aluminum roof material was tossed northeast and insulation was splattered on the home just east of the firehouse. The department's radio antenna was also destroyed. Just south of the firehouse, across county road 700 North, a barn was destroyed by the high wind.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Putnam County, Indiana?
176 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Putnam County between 1965 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Putnam County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Putnam County measured 74.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Putnam County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Thunderstorm Wind in Putnam County, Indiana.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/indiana/putnam-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.